Apolinatee gauthiee



(No Model.)

A. GAUTHIER. PLATE AMALGAMATOR.

Patented Nov; 13, 1888-.-

N. FEYERS. Plmo-Llmo rlphar, Wahlnglon D. C.

7 receives the ore-pulp from it.

LNITED' STATES P TENT Fries.

APOLINAIRE GAUTHIER, OF GRASS VALLEY, CALIFORNIA.

PLATE-AMIALGAMATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Il'aetters Patent No. 392,860, dated November 13, 1888.

Application filed June 9, 1888. Serial No. 276,636.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, APOLINAIRE GAUTHIER, of Grass Valley, Nevada county, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Amalgamators; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and'exact description of the same.

My invention relates to that class of amalgamators in which a suitable platesurface is set at an inclination and has imparted to it a vibratory or shaking motion; and my invention consists in certain improvements in construction and arrangement, as will be hereinafter described, and more fully pointed out in theelaims.

The object of my invention is to provide an amalgamator which, by reason of its construction, may be readily placed in position to receive the ore-pulp from the battery or other source and may have its inclination suitably adjusted and regulated, a shaking oryibratory motion being imparted to it by simple mechanism.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of my amalgamator. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

A is a fixed inclined bed-frame or floor, and B is the mortar of a battery at its head.

0 is the inclined top frame of the machine, said frame carrying the amalgamating-plates D. This top frame is supported from sills E below by means of spring-standards F. The sills rest on the floor A, and the inclination of the top frame and its plate-surface, as will be seen in Fig. 2, is a very slight one. The upper end of the top frame and plate-surface is just under the apron of the battery-mortar B and A vibratory or shaking motion is imparted to the top frame and plate-surface by means of an eccentric, G, upon a rotary drive-shaft, H, extending transversely of the machine, said eccentric playing between the jaws I, bolted up under the top frame. This eccentric is to be driven at a high rate of speed, so that the plate-surface is moved back and forth with a longitudinal shake on its spring-standard.

Normally the machine rests positively with its sills E on the inclined floor; but, in order to move the machine closer to or farther from the battery-mortar, I provide rollers or wheels J in the sills, which said wheels travel on fixed (No model.)

tracks K, mounted on the floor A. These wheels J are mounted in vertically-sliding bearings j, which are adapted to be moved up or down by means of hand-screws When the machine isin place, the wheels or rollers are withdrawninto the sills, so that said sills rest fixedly on the floor; but when the machine is to be moved the wheels are projected so as to raise the whole machine up on the tracks, thus providing for its easy motion.

The movement of the machine is effected by means of a rack, L, fixed to the floor and engaging a pinion, M, on the vertical shaft N, mounted in a cross-bar of the machine and having a hand'wheel, n, onits top for rotating it. By the movement of the shaft the pinion is caused to travel in the fixed rack, thereby moving the machine upon its wheels or rollers.

In order to vary and suitably regulate the inclination of the plate-surface according to the requirements of the work, I have the screws 0 working through the sillsE and bearin g against the floor. By turning these screws the lower end of the machine may be raised or lowered to regulate the inclination of the plate-surface.

In the ordinary amalgamating device, which receives the ore-pulp from the battery, the silver amalgamating-plates are usually placed at a considerable inclination and a great quantity of water is used,.the object being to effectually carry away the sand. This object could not otherwise be accomplished in the use of the ordinary plates, because they are stationary, and if they were set at a slight inclination and but little water were used the sand would not separate easily. In the ordinary construction, therefore, there is a great disadvantage, because, the plates being set at a suitable inclination and there being so much water used,the quicksilver which is put on the plates does not remain, but -much of it is washed down the incline with the sand and is thus wasted. My machine obviates this disadvantage, allowing me to use a great deal more quicksilver without subjecting it to loss or waste, While at the same time I effectually dispose of the sand without having to use much water. To effect these results I regulate and adjust my amalgamating-surface at a very slight inclination, and I place more than the usual quantity of quicksilver on the plates.

Ihe inclination being slight, the quicksilver has but little tendency to flow off, and by reason of the shaking motion to which the plates are subjected there is no necessity for the use of much water, the sand being separated without it and the quicksilver remaining.

The constructions I have described enable me to readily regulate the inclination of the machine and to impart to it a necessary shaking motion, and at the same time I can adjust the whole machine perfectly with respect to the battery.

I am aware of shaking concentrators and tables, and I do not claim such as my invention.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim us new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an amalgamator,the floor or bed-frame with its fixed tracks, in combination with the bottom sills resting on the floor, the inclined top frame, the amalgamating-plates on said frame, the spring-standards supporting the top frame from the bottom sills, and the vertically-adjustable wheels or rollers in the bottom sills for raising the machine upon the fixed tracks,whereby it may be readily moved and adjusted in place, substantially as herein'de scribed,

2. In an amalga-mator,the inclined top frame, the amalgamating-plates on said frame, and the bottom sills and intervening spring standards supporting the top frame, in combination with vertically-adj ustable wheels in the bottom sills for raising the machine, the fixedrack, and the rotary shaft and pinion on the bottom sills, whereby the machine may be moved upon its wheels, substantially as herein described.

3. In an amalgamator,the inclined top frame, the amalgamating-plates thereon, the bottom sills,and the intervening spring-standards supporting the top frame from the sills, in combination with the rotary eccentric for impart ing a vibratory or shaking motion to the top frame, the screws in the bottom sills for varying and regulating the inclination of the top frame, the adjustable wheels in the bottom sills for carrying the machine, and the rack and pinion for moving it on the wheels, substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

APOLINAIRE GAUIHIER.

Witnesses:

GEORGE JOHNSTON, A. BURRows. 

